Cole dishes up buffet battle details

Ashley Cole has hinted that Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas was at the centre of the so-called `battle of the buffet` when slices of pizza were thrown at Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Extracts from Cole`s book, `My Defence,` are being published in The Times this week and on Wednesday Chelsea`s new signing rakes over the embers of the infamous row between Arsenal and United players at Old Trafford two years ago.

He confirms the pizza was not thrown by an English or French player and writes: "This slice of pizza came flying over my head and hit Fergie straight in the mush. All I can say is that the culprit wasn`t English or French, so that should narrow it down."

He added: "The slap echoed down the tunnel and everything stopped - the fighting, the yelling, everything. All eyes turned and all mouths gawped to see this pizza slip off that famous puce face and roll down his nice black suit.

"I thought Ferguson was going to explode but then he stormed off into the dressing room cursing and grunting, brushing the crumbs and stains off his collar.

"We all went back into the dressing room and fell about laughing."

Cole added of the furore around the match: "By the time we were walking down that extendable plastic tunnel everyone was having a go at each other.

"Players were running into a jostling huddle where the narrow tunnel opens into a wider mouth.

"I was jammed in the middle. I heard the boss [Arsene Wenger] hammering Ferguson; incandescent French, verbally sparring with the bullish Scotsman."